Synergism vs. Monergism (Part 1)
Within Christianity, despite all the different denominations, one will fall within one of these two camps. These separate camps define how one interprets scripture to a large degree. I would like to present both sides as taught by either camp. I will present the synergist teaching from a synergist point of view and a monergist teaching from a monergist point of view.
Before the different groups are presented, I would like to give examples of well known preachers from both groups.
Synergists: Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, Tim Lahaye, Charles Stanley, Jerry Falwell, John Wesley, Charles Finney, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, and the Catholic church.
Monergists: John MacArthur, RC Sproul, John Piper, D. James Kennedy, Charles Spurgeon, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Martin Luther, the Puritans.
Synergism:
Synergism is a word used in the secular world. It means “the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.” In theology, it means “the doctrine that the human will cooperates with the Holy Ghost in the work of regeneration.”
The secular usage of the word defines the theological use. When two elements come together, an effect is produced greater than the individual element or contribution. In theology, the synergist believes that God and man act cooperatively towards salvation.
Synergism has become synonymous with an Arminiust. Jacob Arminius taught scripture through the lens of synergism, cooperation between man and God to achieve salvation.
Jacob Arminius was born in Amsterdam and died four years before John Calvin. He was elected to write a defense against attacks upon Calvinism and came to the conclusion that many of Calvin’s doctrines were incorrect. In doing so, he made the mistake of mixing Pelagian doctrine with the scriptures. Sometime in the fifth century, Pelagius, an English monk, attempted to reform the Roman Catholic Church. He taught that man did not inherit Adam’s sinful nature but was only affected by Adam’s example. He taught that mans’ free will was free to choose or reject God.
Today, in the Arminiust or synergist camp, it is taught that each individual is in control his fate, with God’s help, if that is his choice.
Based on the teachings of Arminius, synergism teaches that salvation is based on the free will of fallen man. It is taught that God, through redemption, bestows a common grace upon all men which makes it possible for each individual to choose for or against God. According to Arminius, man is not totally depraved in that his will remains free to decide his own destiny. The maximum of the Arminiust is “It is mine to be willing to believe and it is the part of God’s grace to assist.” The Arminiust teaches that God’s foreknowledge means that God foreknows those who will accept Christ and based on that knowledge, He elects them. Those that reject Him, He condemns. The final decision rests with man, not God and God acts upon the decision of man. The common grace given to all mankind removes the inability to choose Him. Dr. A.H. Strong wrote “”It is important to understand that, in Arminiun usage, grace is the restoration of man’s natural ability to act for himself; grace never actually saves him, but only enables him to save himself … if he will.”
Monergism:
The doctrine that the Holy Ghost acts independently of the human will in the work of regeneration.
A monergist teaches it is God who gives ears to hear and eyes to see. Because of man’s hardened resistance to God being dead in sin, only God by His grace, can change, overcome and defuse our rebellious disposition towards Him. In other words the natural man will not come to Christ apart from the quickening word of the Holy Spirit since he is at enmity with God and unable to understand spiritual things. An analogy that has been used is that to shine a bright light into a blind man’s eyes will not cause him to see for sight requires the eyes physical ability to see. In the same way, it is taught that reading or hearing the word of God will not elicit faith until the Holy Spirit first plants the seed of the word in the heart. It is this first work by the Holy Spirit that gives a person an ability to see and hear.
The synergist teaching originated from the Roman Catholic Church. It originated with Augustine (born 353 and died 430). The first promoter of synergism was in the Latin Catholic Church. Augustine eventually rejected synergism and embraced monergism. Interestingly, in the Council of Orange and Valence in 529 A.D. monergism was adopted but soon thereafter was abandoned. Unfortunately, baptismal regeneration transubstantiation, purgatory, priestly absolution, justification by works as well of faith, church infallibility, penances, required that monergism be rejected. Without delving into too much Roman Catholic History, monergism fails the Catholic theology and the Protestant reformation was eventually birthed so as to return to Sola Scriptura.
The Protestant Reformation was convicted of the utter sinfulness of man and his need of divine regeneration. In the sixteenth century, the reformists (Calvin & Luther) asserted the doctrine of sin and grace, declaring the equality and total depravity of all men in the eyes of God.
Monergism teaches that salvation is entirely the work of God. Man has no desire for God or Holiness (Romans 3:11-12), is hostile towards God (Romans 8:7), man loves darkness over light and hates the light (John 3:19-20). An unregenerate man desires sin more than he desires God, has a natural love of sin and therefore needs Christ must work independently of the human will or no one will be saved. This is salvation by grace alone. God’s grace is the only agent or cause in effecting the renewal of our fallen will towards God that will lead to repentance.
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